Dillon's Dead-Heat Breakers Review

If you ever wondered what Mad Max would be like if it were made by Disney then Dillon’s Dead-Heat Breakers is probably the closest you are going to get to it.

Starting off by transforming your mii into an animal version of itself or ‘Amiimal’. The player is told that they are now the hero of the story –  driving a big rig across a barren post-apocalyptic wasteland in search of supplies to build a weapon capable of saving their town.

Except you don’t drive the big rig, instead players take on the Role of the titular armadillo - Dillon, who has been tasked with protecting the rig along with a band of hired guns from the Grocks - alien rock monsters that cause havoc for the settlers by stealing their supplies.

It’s essentially a game of two halves, during the day players earn cash by completing various mini games around town like competing in races, grinding up virtual Grocks in the arcade, or putting in a shift at the super market.  

At night, players take on missions to defend nearby villages from Grock attacks to earn materials which are then used to build the super weapon. Before heading out you can hire gunners created from miis on your friend and mii plaza -each gunner has different strengths and weaknesses and uses one of four different weapons – having the right combination of gunners to hand is vital to success and having a strong well-rounded team at your back makes the missions a lot easier.

Once you get onto the field players take control of Dillon who blasts around the map grounding Grocks into dust with a series of spinning attacks. Combat is simple, but surprisingly fun as Dillon chases down and slams into his quarry. Facing off against each Grock in small arenas that see him use combinations of rolling attacks all performed with the A button before gathering up their remains and moving onto the next fight.

For the best part it’s a fun little gameplay loop. However, it can sometimes be difficult to know whether you need to step in and help your gunners defend their position as it's hard to tell how much life each invading Grock has. Something that becomes all the more troublesome as more enemies with new abilities are thrown at your gang.

During these moments the map on the touchscreen becomes invaluable as it lets you see what’s happening and where you are most needed.

Destroy enough Grocks and the remaining rock monsters spawn wheels and make a break for it. It’s then up to Dillon to chase down the blighters in thrilling high speed chases that see players desperately try to get the last grock before the time runs out.

Once the battle is over players are rewarded with cash and materials and the cycle starts all over again. Literally sun-rise, sun-set. It’s fun for the first few missions but after a while an odd sense of routine kicks in that makes the game feel repetitive.

Dillon’s Dead-Heat Breakers starts off with a bang and has genuine moments of brilliance. However, these moments are bogged down by a sense of routine that ceases to be engaging after the first few hours.

SCORE: 7/10.